In recent years, mobile telecommunications operators have experienced a dramatic increase in traffic on their networks, and this trend will likely continue. This increase in traffic has been caused in part by the increased adoption of mobile devices such as smartphones and other mobile devices that rely on mobile telecommunications networks, and the migration of many customers from utilizing landline telecommunication services to utilizing mobile telecommunication services for their communications needs. To meet the demands of higher traffic and to improve the end user experience, mobile telecommunications operators are examining mechanisms by which to improve network efficiency, network capacity, and the end user experience, while keeping operational costs at a level conducive to maintaining competitive rates for the services they provide.
The internet of things (“IoT”) is a concept of making physical objects, collectively “things,” network addressable to facilitate interconnectivity for the exchange of data via a network, such as cellular network. The number of IoT devices deployed and operating in communication with an operator's network is expected to increase dramatically over the next several years, thereby further compromising network resources. Connected cars, also known as smart cars, are one type of IoT device that is expected to increase as new vehicles are deployed with technology to enable communications with cellular networks. IoT devices typically exchange small amounts of data in terms of bytes, such as an IoT water meter that periodically (e.g., monthly) reports a measurement to the water company. Other devices, such as connected cars, may exchange larger amounts of data with more frequency, such as data associated with update files. Additionally, these devices may require more frequent updates, which may be delivered over-the-air (“OTA”). The delivery of update files and other files OTA will increase data flow dramatically in the network in a short time period and will induce a negative impact on wireless network performance.